Final Score: VCU 12, NJIT 4
Winning Pitcher: James Gladden (2-0)
Losing Pitcher:  Holden de Jong (0-2)
Location: Richmond, Va. (The Diamond)
Records: VCU 8-11, NJIT 5-10
 
The Short Story:  Two home runs by Brandon Eike, coupled with a seven-run seventh inning, powered VCU past NJIT 12-4 to clinch the series win at the Diamond over the visiting Highlanders. 

LEADING OFF: 

• James Gladden pitched four solid innings in relief, allowing only one run and striking out a career-high six batters to pick up his second win on the mound this season.
• Zachary Peters settled in to go five innings as the starter; at one point, Peters retired eleven consecutive Highlanders as NJIT could not touch the Ram pitcher.
• Eike tallied his second and third home runs of the season, including a deep shot to left center field that put the Rams ahead for good. This is the first multi-HR game of Eike's college career.
• Eike is the first Ram to hit multiple home runs in a game since Connor Hujsak accomplished the feat on June 4, 2022 at North Carolina.
• Overall, Eike went 3-for-5 at the dish with a career-high four RBIs, bringing his season average to .349.
• Cooper Benzin continued his strong weekend at the plate, going 3-for-5 with three RBIs. He is now hitting .338 on the young season.
• Will Carlone and A.J. Mathis each contributed two-RBI singles to the cause, with Carlone's hit coming in the fifth inning and Mathis' in the seventh.

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

• The visiting Highlanders got on the board quickly in the top of the first inning, scoring two runs to put the Rams in an early hole.
• The game would settle into a pitcher's duel for a while, with neither team scoring in the second, third, or fourth innings.
• During that stretch, Peters settled in, sitting down the Highlanders in order in the second, third and fourth innings.
• After NJIT extended their lead to 3-0 in the top of the fifth, the Rams' bats came alive in the bottom of the frame. Following a Nic Ericsson walk and a Mathis hit-by-pitch, Benzin singled to left field, advancing to second on the throw and scoring Ericsson. Mathis came home on a wild pitch, and Carlone belted a two-RBI single to center to give VCU its first lead of the game.
• NJIT knotted the game at four runs apiece in the top of the seventh with a home run by Nick Vega.
• However, the game was not tied for long. The VCU seventh-inning rally began with a William Bean walk and Carlone hit-by-pitch, and then Eike got a hold of one to left-center, with the ball sailing over the fence and off of the scoreboard for a three-run home run that would bring in the go-ahead runs.
• Eike's shot smacked off just left of the "V" in VCU Baseball, traveling 405 feet.
• The Rams were far from done in the bottom of the seventh. The Black and Gold loaded up the bases, and then Mathis hit a single past the shortstop to bring home Scottie O'Bryan and Jake Thilges. Benzin capped the Rams' massive seventh inning with a two-RBI single to right center, scoring Mathis and Ethan Brooks.
• Eike padded the Rams' lead further in the bottom of the eighth, sending a solo shot over the left field fence to wrap up the scoring for the day.
• Gladden locked in on the mound in the eighth and ninth innings, keeping NJIT at bay and helping secure VCU's second series win of 2023.

UP NEXT: VCU wraps up its weekend series with NJIT at The Diamond on Sunday, March 19, with the first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.